


Freckles

by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Aaron Minyard deserves love, Alternate Universe - No Exy (All For The Game), Big Brother Matt, Bisexual Aaron?, Boys Kissing, Cute, Demisexual neil, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, No Incest, Oblivious Neil Josten, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shy, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, Sweet, awww, no exy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-07-07 04:56:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15901320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto/pseuds/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto
Summary: Neil is desperate for a little help in Biology.  His new tutor Aaron is desperate for a little sleep.  Neil doesn't quite understand the reason for all of Aaron's blushes, but it won't hurt to keep studying him to find out...will it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, as always, fuzzballsheltiepants for betaing and writing the summary. Seriously... I don't know what I'd do without you.
> 
> Also, guys, I adore Aaron, he needs more love and I ship Neil with everyone, so here! Enjoy a cute fic about them meeting and pretty much, crushing hardcore, very quickly. Hey, it's college and I have little self-control. <3

It started when Neil Josten needed a tutor to pass biology, a stupid required course for his major. All he thought was that ‘I’m a math major, what the fuck do I need to learn biology for?’ and begrudgingly signed up for the first tutor available and waited for them to text him to set up his first session. His tutor doesn’t even give him a name, just telling him to name a place and to pick one of the time frames listed, some of which are luckily held after track practice. They agreed to meet Neil at his dorm room that he shares with Matt Boyd and Neil. Desperate to get a passing grade in this impossibly hard subject or risk losing his place on the track team, Neil cleans up the couch and coffee table area of their suite he plans to host them in.

Neil opens the door after the second knock and finds an exhausted and annoyed looking blond, supposedly a sophomore at PSU and yet somehow shorter than him. Even through the annoyance, Neil finds intelligence in his hazel eyes as he looks at him, studies him and Neil only manages;

“Hey.”

“I’m Aaron Minyard, I’m supposed to tutor a Neil Josten,” Aaron’s voice is showing serious signs of exhaustion. Neil would know, he’s had enough sleepless nights, cramming for exams. It’s not three weeks into the semester and this guy is this tired?

“That’s me,” he invites him in by way of stepping aside and motioning to the couch and coffee table. As he watches his tutor slump his way toward his couch and practically sink into its cushions, Neil does something that would make both Matt and his uncle Stuart proud, once the door is closed. “Can I make you some coffee or tea?” He expects a ‘please’ or at least a ‘yes’, not an annoyed look.

“Do I look like I need your fuckin’ charity? You think I need it just because I took this tutoring job?” Aaron snaps and Neil bristles angrily at his sudden outburst.

“Hey, asshole! I’m just trying to be nice cause you look like you’re about to pass out! You don’t have to act like a dick about it!” Neil snaps right back, his nerves swept away by his temper.

Aaron stares at him for a moment, still wearing that annoyed expression but it’s bleeding away with his exhaustion and looks down. “Fuck- sorry, I just...” Aaron pinches the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut. “Sorry, I’ve got a lot going on and I need these tutoring gigs to pay my bills and all my classes and I’m tired.” Aaron lets his hands fall into his lap, glancing at Neil and then back at his hands. “Sorry.” He adds on once more.

Neil tilts his head and watches Aaron shift from annoyed to surprised to tired and to… depressed? All within the span of five seconds and feels for him, having gone through hell as a child and just _gets it_.

“Seems like you’ve got more than bills and school to worry about if we’re barely on the third week and you’re this fucked up…” Neil raises a brow when Aaron looks up at him, as if he was going to argue and then watches him slump back against the back of the couch.

“I’ll make you that coffee - I think Matty has some espresso for the Keurig, how do you take it?” Neil finds himself asking as he walks over to the kitchenette and digs through one of three cupboards. He’s found the espresso k-cups and filled the machine with water from the sink and grabbed a mug by the time Aaron finally opens his mouth.

“Espresso? Ah, well, sweet and creamy then - please,” Aaron finally tells him. Neil can feel him staring at him.

“Is international delight pumpkin spice okay? It’s all Matty uses right now,” Neil asks, turning to look at his tutor and indeed finds the man staring at him. Studying him, trying to figure him out with his exhausted but curious hazel eyes.

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

Neil can’t look away as he maintains eye contact with Aaron, stopped in front of their small, dorm room fridge and does not know why. Aaron doesn’t say anything, there is just the sound of the Keurig finally pouring out the espresso into the mug -Neil’s favorite grey mug with a sleeping fox on it- as they stare at each other. Unable to figure out his own sudden fascination in a complete stranger that was rude within the two minutes of knowing him, Neil finally breaks away and bends to get the creamer out of the fridge. When he stands he sees Aaron no longer watching him, cheeks pink and digging through his backpack.

Odd.

Neil prepares Aaron his coffee -using what he thinks could be too much sugar AND creamer- and watches Aaron take a deep first sip that leaves the mug half empty. Eventually, he grabs his biology materials and sits next to Aaron, the coffee table pulled up to their knees and they start at the beginning. He forgets about everything that just happened once Aaron warns him that his professor likes to give random pop quizzes and finds himself thankful to know he has the same professor that Aaron had for this course.

They spend the hour Neil signed up for, having Aaron tutor him, going over the basics and watches the blond suck down two more mugs of his too sweet and too caffeinated espresso that Neil made himself. Aaron tells him he’s never going to pass this semester if he’s having this much difficulty with the basics, and recommends three sessions a week, minimum, while Neil signs a paper, stating Aaron tutored him for the hour. Neil wonders why Aaron looks surprised when he accepts his recommendation, thinking for a moment that he might be lying to him or trying to get more money out of him when he remembers that the school pays him for his tutoring hours. Instead of questioning it, he stares at his still exhausted tutor and asks him what he is doing for the rest of the afternoon.

“I’m supposed to go to the tutoring lab for open hours,” Aaron tells him after a brief pause, hazel eyes darting between Neil’s piercing blue. “That way if someone needs help I can take them on and can get paid for extra time. After that, I’ll get something to eat in the dining hall.”

He doesn’t know what makes him say it, but; “Do you want to stay here and tutor me then? Uh, can you do that?”

Aaron doesn’t respond immediately. “I mean I can, as long as I have the paperwork done, but it’s unlikely you would retain much more information right now. You need a break.”

Again, Neil does not understand the empathy he is experiencing, yet he assumes it’s from the numerous sleepless nights, trying to catch some rest at any opportunity, that he keeps giving to this stranger. “I meant ‘tutor me’,” Neil even supplies air quotes, watching Aaron’s ears turn red, with interest, wondering what that means. “You can sleep on my couch and I’ll sign another paper that you tutored me the entire time and you can get paid. I mean, you look like you’re still going to pass out, even after all of that sugar and caffeine,” he tells him sincerely, smiling gently at him. “It’s you who needs the break.”

Aaron stares at Neil for a full thirty seconds, suspicion followed by disbelief and then relief soaks into his sagging shoulders. “I would really fuckin’ appreciate that,” Aaron looks around the lounge part of the suite for a second and back at Neil. “Is your roommate gonna mind?”

“Matty?” Neil laughs and shakes his head, putting away his books and stands up. “I’ve known him since high school and he’s three years older than me, but requested to have me as his roommate since Seth graduated. He’s got a heart of gold, just don’t make a mess.”

“...Okay, thanks- I guess,” Aaron awkwardly moves his things around and looks at the couch while Neil disappears into his room.

Neil tosses his books on his desk and grabs one of his pillows and his orange PSU comforter off his bed and walks back out to the lounge where he finds Aaron laying down already. “Here, I got-” Neil pauses and feels a smile spread across his face at the sight of his tutor passed out on the couch, curled toward the back, his vans sneakers kicked off and breathing slowly.

After Neil has placed the pillow under Aaron’s head and draped the comforter over him does Neil realize what he has done and feels his cheeks turn pink. Odd, normally he’s not so… generous, despite having Matthew Boyd as a best friend/big brother type individual. Especially after the rocky introduction they had. He shrugs and takes one last look at Aaron before he goes into his room and works on his math and Spanish homework, his two favorite subjects this semester, for the next two and a half hours.

There is a soft knock on his door and Neil looks up from where he’d begun doodling fox paws in the margins of his government homework that he tried to do, to find a bed-headed Aaron holding his folded comforter and pillow. A pink blush on his pillow-creased face. Neil likes it, it makes him smile at Aaron and raise an auburn eyebrow.

“Thanks for letting me crash on your couch,” Aaron mutters and breaks eye contact, looking at the bedding in his arms. “A-and thanks for this.”

“You’re welcome,” Neil looks up from his chair and walks over to the door to take the bedding. He is curious at Aaron’s now shy behavior, shifting awkwardly in his doorway while Neil messily remakes his bed.

“I’m sorry I was a dick earlier, I-”

“You were dead on your feet,” Neil cuts him off, watching relief once again wash over the blond and grins. “I can be a real asshole when I’m tired. I get it, it’s fine.”

“Yeah, cool, thanks,” Aaron bobs his head and runs his hand through his hair. “Uh, what are you doing right now?”

Neil looks at the alarm clock on his bedside table and shrugs. “I normally wait until Matty gets back from boxing practice to get a ride with him and his girlfriend Dan to the dining hall.” After Neil tells him this, Neil is confused to see disappointment quickly masked in Aaron’s eyes and instinctively adds on; “but that’s not for another half hour.”

He watches hope light up Aaron’s eyes and this emotion does not fade. “Do you want to grab dinner with me then? I have my own car since my twin and I can’t seem to share one.”

Neil blinks and can’t help asking; “There are two of you?” He grins at Aaron’s owlish stare. “I’m now imagining two grumpy, sleep-deprived blonds drinking sugary espresso like it’s their lifeline,” he teases and expects him to be angry.

Aaron wrinkles his nose and huffs, instead. “One, Andrew is much worse when sleep deprived and two, he is the one with the sugar addiction. I just drank that overly sweet monstrosity because of the caffeine content, only my twin would drink something that diabetes-inducing. I mean, I don’t even really like espresso.”

Neil snorts at how passionate Aaron is about these statements. “Thank god, because it pained me to bastardize your espresso like that! Clearly, I met the better twin!” Neil likes the surprised look this brings to Aaron’s face and then the proud and pleased expression that follows before he turns to get his phone, keys, and wallet. “Let’s go!”

Aaron smiles at him and they head out once the blond has used the bathroom -it was all that caffeine!- and has his bag sorted. Neil doesn’t care what they listen to in the car, Aaron seemed keen on changing to the NPR station, listening to the news. Neil isn’t surprised that he too, is enjoying it, texting Matt to tell him what he is doing and that he wouldn’t need a ride to dinner. They are surprisingly quiet and it is even more surprisingly comfortable, for once Neil doesn’t feel like he needs to fill the silence.

At the dining hall, both of them swipe their student ID cards for their meals and pile their trays high with food, Neil doesn’t question Aaron when he is lead over to a table by the windows. Neil sits across from his tutor -turned acquaintance? friend?- and immediately begins eating, but feels Aaron’s eyes on him which makes Neil look up.

“What?”

Neil watches Aaron’s neck flush and shakes his head, focusing intently on his meal. The entire time, Neil both watches the people in the cafeteria and out of the corner of his eye -Aaron- noticing how the blond constantly looks like he wants to say something but never does. That’s odd, he thinks, but decides not to pry, thinking Aaron has had a long enough of a day.

The ride back to Neil’s dorm building is just as quiet, becoming increasingly more comfortable. Neil is curious though when being dropped off, that Aaron looks like he's struggling to say something but when asked, blushes and shakes his head.

“I'll see you Wednesday, same time.”

“Try to get some rest beforehand.”

Neil smirks at Aaron's annoyed glare, made nonthreatening by his pink cheeks.

“Bye.”

Neil doesn't get a chance to reply, watching Aaron pull away from the curb and shrugs, heading into his building. He only gets half an hour into “studying" when Matt returns, loudly -and sappily- saying goodnight to Dan, before appearing in their room.

“Hey Neil, missed you for dinner- what happened, you had a hot date?” Matt teases, messing up Neil's curls.

Neil laughs and playfully bats away Matt's hand. “No, my tutor for bio practically passed out on me, so I let him crash on our couch and then we grabbed dinner at the dining hall."

Matt is quiet for a moment, making Neil turn to look at him in question, “that's cool, what's his name?”

“He said his name was Aaron Minyard,” Neil tells him and turns back to his government homework decorated with penned in fox paws, looking back at Matt when he makes a strangled noise. “What?”

“Andrew's twin brother?” Matt looks so worried. “You went to dinner with _The Monster’s_ brother?”

Neil frowns. “I never thought you to be one to talk shit about people, Matty,” at least he has the decency to look ashamed. “Besides, I think he just wanted to be nice for me letting him crash on our couch and gave me a lift.”

Matt is quiet again, making Neil roll his eyes and start putting away his government homework, intent on reviewing the biology notes Aaron helped him with.

“Okay…” Matt finally says. “But if he asks you out, be careful.”

Neil snorts and smirks at Matt. “You worry too much,” Neil stops and looks at his best friend again, asking; “Why would he ask me out?” Matt's bewildered look is concerning.

“No reason.”

Neil just shakes his head and tries to focus.

 

\--- Tuesday, 8 am post-morning practice---

 

“Hey! Hey Neil!”

Neil turns to look at the voice calling him and sees his tutor jogging towards him, cheeks pink and knuckles white while gripping his bag.

“Hey,” Neil greets and then suddenly feels eyes on him, catching sight of Aaron's twin glaring in their direction. A tall, Hispanic man watching them beside him. He looks back at Aaron. “You look like you slept a bit.”

“Oh,” Aaron's eyes widen and he gives Neil an easy smile. “Yeah, I got some rest, had a sugar free energy drink with breakfast.”

“Good.” Neil nods and continues looking at him, waiting. Aaron swallows visibly and Neil wonders if Matt was right. “So…”

Aaron grins and wrings the strap of his bag before opening it up. “I forgot to have you sign this - for ‘tutoring’ you,” he tells Neil as he pulls out a tutoring hours form, everything but the signature is filled in.

“Oh,” why does he feel disappointed?  “Okay,” Neil takes the paper and searches for a pen, smiling graciously at Aaron when he hands him a pen and uses the nearby wall to sign his name. “Is that all?”

Nail notices how Aaron looks like he's going to say something but once again, he doesn't, tilting his head curiously as Aaron bites his lip. “Is everything alright?” Aaron’s responding blush and nervous gaze brings him back to the numerous times that Matt had to explain to him that the person -not just Aaron- in front of him exuding these exact behaviors is either flirting with him or attempting to ask him out. After the third cheerleader and second track teammate to do this since they’ve met -Matt explaining it to him afterward each time- Neil likes to think he can kind of catch on and not remain oblivious to their advances. Despite his lack of interest in them. Matt teased him in good nature when he never showed any inclination of having a sex drive, let alone interest in anyone until he just stopped without saying anything.

“Aaron?” Neil finally repeats when it occurs to him that they have just been standing there wordlessly. He catches Aaron’s hazel eyes staring at the side of Neil’s face, slowly trailing down and Neil becomes hyper-aware of the water droplet dripping down from his hair.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Aaron chokes and turns, neck and ears tomato red.

Neil doesn’t know why he does it, but after a blink, discovers he has caught Aaron’s wrist with his hand, stopping the tiny blond from leaving. He does not know why, but- “Are you okay?” He hears a slight commotion and finds Aaron’s twin and the tall Hispanic man struggling, the twin staring murderously in their direction.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Aaron repeats, and yanks free -Neil not fighting him- scurrying back toward his twin and the other man.

Neil is left feeling beyond confused and decides to just go to his English 101 class, pushing the confusion into the back of his mind for now.

 

~

 

“I don’t get what’s so funny-”

“That’s why it’s _hilarious_!” Matt giggles, laying on his side holding his ribs while laughing at Neil sitting beside him on their couch.

Neil rolls his eyes and scoops up a handful of popcorn they had prepared for the movie they would be watching with Dan and some of their other friends. Neil doesn’t know why they are doing this on a Tuesday night, but Matt always insisted that college isn’t the same as the real world, so he accepts it. He had told Matt when they arrived back at their dorm after dinner, for some reason feeling that he shouldn’t mention his interaction with Aaron in front of anyone else while getting the dorm ready for guests and was ‘laughed at’. Neil isn’t offended per se, but he is annoyed.

“Are you done?” Neil questions when Matt’s giggling starts to subside. It takes another minute for Matt to settle down and sit up, but there is a knock at their door and he decides to drop it.

 

\---Monday, tutoring session---

 

The past week, Neil finds himself watching Aaron, trying to find truth in anything Matt told him about the way the blond behaves around him. Neil growing more and more curious and intrigued about the prospect of Aaron having a crush on him, but what about himself?

“Neil,” Aaron gets his attention, Neil refocuses his vision and meets Aaron’s hazel eyes, noting the tint of pink on his cheeks. “Are you having trouble focusing?”

Neil realizes that he had been ‘listening’ to Aaron talk, going over more notes and finally caught up to the current lesson to help him understand what the professor is teaching when he looked up. He looked up at Aaron and got distracted by both Aaron’s confident tone when talking about the science class and a specific smattering of freckles along his pale nose. Neil kept thinking about what Matt had told him while cleaning up after the movie night, that regardless if Aaron is flirting with him, he should realize that this is the first time Neil has responded to anyone, including a proper stranger at all, so positively. When Neil tilted his head in confusion, Matt further explained that Neil never noticed anyone’s flirtatious behavior toward him, because of how focused and oblivious he tends to be.

So he proceeded to study Aaron when the tutor showed up and tried to figure out what that means. He has known Aaron for only a week and isn’t sure why he wants to figure this out. So what if Aaron has a crush on him? So what if he doesn’t? Neil wants to know if this intelligent, tiny blond sophomore with a twin nicknamed ‘The Monster’ is the first person to have caught his interest. Even with his limited experience, Neil never cared about his sexual attraction.

Before his uncle Stuart took over his guardianship when he was eight, his mother told him relationships weren’t worth it and would only cause him pain. Back then, he didn’t understand, but now that he knows both his mother and father were killed in an FBI raid because of his father’s activities, he realizes -that at least in her case- relationships might kill you.

“Yes,” Neil finally answers Aaron’s question, still staring at him.

Aaron blinks and looks away for a moment, Neil likes the new angle and stares at the way his short blond locks fall over his forehead. Hm, maybe he does think Aaron is attractive, is that a thing he feels now? Attraction to people? He thinks Matt is handsome and kind and that Dan is rather pretty and one of the strongest women he knows. He finds their friend Allison to be gorgeous and her girlfriend Renee to be cute. His track teammate Ricky is kind of cute but thinks that he is annoying and not dedicated enough, that he can’t stand it. Neil can tell when someone looks good but never thinks them to be ‘attractive’ and does not know what that means.

Is he thinking about this because of what Matt said? Is it because he sympathized with Aaron and saw himself in the dark circles under his eyes or the way he irritably snapped at him. Even before he started having to study hard, not being stupid, but having a hard time comprehending some of the subjects, Neil sometimes had to relocate in the middle of the night until all of his father’s people were caught. Everything has been sorted out for the last four years, but he understood and is starting to think maybe that is why he understands Aaron.

Neil is pulled out of his thoughts by Aaron’s hand waving in front of his face, making him grin.

“So, did _you_ not get enough sleep last night?” Aaron stumbles over his question, struggling to maintain eye contact.

“I’m fine,” Neil shrugs, still blatantly staring and finds he likes the way Aaron’s blush deepens. “Did you sleep okay?”

“You asked me when I showed up,” Aaron mumbles, Neil’s eyes fall to his lips and the way he has noticed that Aaron will lick them when nervous. “Did you forget?” He looks… upset? Why would Aaron be upset if- oh.  _Oh._

“I didn’t forget, I’m just distracted,” Neil tells him honestly, staring at a freckle by the corner of his upper lip and the one-

“Distracted by what?”

Aaron sounds shy, Neil realizes, looking back up from his lips, to Aaron’s eyes and finds hope in his eyes, a shy blush on his face, nervousness in his posture and the way he licks his lips again. When Aaron swallows audibly, hazel eyes darting down to Neil’s mouth, he realizes, he finds himself wanting to kiss Aaron. He wants to find out if he’ll finally enjoy kissing someone. So;

“By you,” Neil bluntly admits, finding three freckles under his right eye that look like a triangle. He wants to touch them.

“M-me?” Aaron looks embarrassed that he stuttered, Neil glances to see him wringing his hands. “Wh-”

“I like your freckles,” Neil finds himself blurting out, his hand halfway up to Aaron’s face, without his permission and freezes. He glances at his hand and then Aaron’s wide eyes, full of hope, interest, and excitement. “Can I touch them?”

A tiny smile stretches Aaron’s lips after he licks them and nods. His eyes flutter when Neil touches the three freckles under Aaron’s eye, carefully tracing them a couple times. The smile grows as does his blush when Neil begins tracing his finger over the rest of them. Slowly connecting each one to the last. Neil is fascinated by the way Aaron’s nerves and stress seems to melt away. As he reaches the freckle by Aaron’s lip, Neil’s heart skips a beat when Aaron slightly turns his head and kisses the pad of his finger. Neil freezes, not sure why when Aaron’s eyes open and he finds that they are darker than normal. Interesting.

Neil presses his hand fully against Aaron’s cheek, touching that freckle again with his thumb. When Aaron smiles, no longer looking nearly as nervous as he was, Neil smiles back. Neil blinks and suddenly Aaron is leaning in and kissing him, making Neil gasp, unsure why, but he kisses him back. It is a very chaste kiss, compared to some of the kisses he’s witnessed other people sharing but it leaves Neil’s lips tingling when Aaron pulls away.

“Was that okay?” Aaron asks, sounding nervous again, making Neil realize that he has not said anything, hand still on his cheek.

“Your lips are soft and mine are tingling,” is what he responds with, liking how it makes Aaron’s face blossomed into a brilliant smile and laugh delightedly. “I like your laugh.”

“You’re so weird, Neil,” Aaron tells him, voice and eyes teasing. This blush seems to be from happiness if the way his hazel eyes are sparkling are anything to go by. So Neil shrugs, tracing his thumb over his lips, giggling when Aaron kisses the pad of his thumb this time. It feels nice.

“What happens now?” Neil asks curiously, shifting in his seat, knees bumping with Aaron’s.

“Um,” Aaron laughs, Neil sets his hand in his lap when Aaron looks down and rubs the back of his neck. “Well, I want to ask you out on a date, but right now all I could afford is the university dining hall and the cafe by the library.” He shrugs, much like Neil had, but now nervous for a different reason. “That doesn’t sound very romantic to me,” he mumbles.

“Then... then can _I_ ask _you_ on a date?” Neil tilts his head in question, smiling at the way Aaron looks up at him curiously. “I don’t drive - by choice, but if I pay and you drive, would that be okay?”

Note to self; ask Matt about how to take someone on a date.

Aaron’s blush is different in response to this too, he likes it. He likes how Aaron can have a different blush for any situation, but his skin is so pale, that he probably blushes for no reason.

“That’s… not - well,” Aaron laughs and nods. “Yeah, that’s good, I’d like that.”

That shy smile and the way Aaron looks up at Neil through his bangs makes Neil want to kiss him, so he does. Aaron lets out a gasp, probably as surprised as he was- is, but kisses back, placing his hands on his shoulders. Neil tips his head when Aaron’s tongue licks at his lips, parting them, curious to know if it feels as good as people make it se- oh it does, Neil closes his eyes and grabs Aaron’s waist while clumsily kissing back.

Aaron presses closer and closer until Neil just lets himself tumble onto his back, one foot planted on the ground with the other tucked awkwardly beneath his leg. Neil nips Aaron’s lip when he straddles him, one knee digging into the cushions beside his thigh and the other pressed against his own on the floor. Their kissing doesn’t stop, neither seem to view that as an option- even as Neil moves his leg to get comfortable and wraps his arms around Aaron. Neil explores his back, impressed with the lean muscles he finds and whimpers happily when a hand threads into his auburn curls.

Neil gets it now, why Matt and Dan end up making out despite Neil being nearby because this feels amazing. Aaron’s warmth and weight on top of him, his soft lips sliding against his own and his tongue curling with his. The way his fingers card through his hair and the way he gasps ever so softly when Neil nips his lip is everything. This is nothing like the awkward way those high school girls shyly pecked him on the lips or that drunk boy throwing himself at Neil and slobbering all over him before Neil could shove him off. But the way Aaron is kissing him? Neil never wants to stop.

Aaron goes rigid on top of him when the door to the suite Neil shares with Matt is unlocked, pulling away from their kiss -much to Neil’s disappointment- just as the door is being pushed open. Matt appears, looking hurried and sweaty, Neil making a pathetic, needy sound when Aaron tries to climb off of him and wraps his arms tight around his waist, earning himself a stare.

“Sorry Neil, I know you’re studying but do you-” Matt, still in his sweaty work out clothes freezes in the doorway to stare at the couch, his dark skin flushes darker despite having come from working out. “Fuck - sorry! I’ll grab my things and go!”

Neil sighs and flops back down, hands loosely holding onto Aaron’s shirt, who is sitting on his thighs as they watch Matt hunch in on himself as he scrambles to find whatever it is he was there for and before he leaves-

“Bye! Make sure you use protection!” and slams the door behind him.

Neil blushes and hears Aaron make a noise, looking up to see Aaron the brightest red he has ever seen him, with his hands covering his face. It makes Neil laugh and reach up to take his wrists and pulls his hands from his face, smiling when Aaron glances at him before looking away, clearly embarrassed.

“What’s wrong?” Neil asks, rubbing Aaron’s wrists with his thumbs.

“That was humiliating - your roommate - I- jeeze, fuck that was- arhg!” Aaron manages to free his right hand to rub at his face, shifting awkwardly.

“Matty won’t say anything if that’s what you’re worried about,” Neil tells him, trying to reassure him.

Aaron looks confused. “But what he said, he-”

“Matty thought you were going to ask me out the first day,” he tells him honestly. “I didn’t understand why he thought that until I started paying attention to you.”

Aaron stares at him, wide eye, swallowing nervously, licking his lips and breaking eye contact for a moment while he tries to find words. When he looks back he opens his mouth finally. “Well uh, why-why didn’t you say anything? I mean, if you knew I was interested.”

Neil blinks, realizing he didn’t even think about that. “Well,” he hums and sits up, grinning when Aaron shifts, trying to get off of his legs and holds onto Aaron’s hips, keeping him there. “I guess I didn’t believe him,” at Aaron’s shocked expression he tilts his head. “I don’t know why you like me, I didn’t believe it, but after I talked to Matty, I just started watching you. I paid attention to everything you did, down to the way you lick your lips when you’re nervous and how easily you blush.”

“Jesus, do I do it that often?” Aaron groans and shakes his head, running his hand through his short hair and looks at Neil again.

“Just around me, but I only see you occasionally in passing and when you come to tutor me.” Neil likes the way that makes Aaron smile, linking his hands behind Aaron’s back. “But I just liked watching you, trying to figure you out and see if Matty was right. I’ve never dated anyone and I wasn’t even interested, but like, I kept watching you and I guess I… I just… I like you.”

Neil shrugs at Aaron’s bewildered stare. “So, you’ve never had a boyfriend?” Neil shakes his head. “What about a girl-” Neil shakes his head again. “Never? Have you kissed anyone?”

Neil laughs. “In high school, there were a couple girls that apparently liked me, but I didn’t realize it until they kissed me. Over the summer, this drunk guy kissed me, but it was gross.”

Aaron licks his lips, trying to find his words. Reflexively, Neil reaches up to run his thumb over Aaron’s bottom lip and then touches that freckle again. When he looks at Aaron’s eyes again, he sees how intrigued he is in those soft hazel eyes.

“What does this mean?” Aaron asks quietly.

Neil shrugs, but Aaron doesn’t say anything, still waiting. Neil thinks about it. “Well… I guess it means I like you and you like me?” Neil smiles when Aaron shyly nods, liking the warmth in his belly. “I like kissing you - I mean, I didn’t like any of those other kisses, but I like it when you kiss me.” Now Neil is blushing while spilling his emotions. “And I like your freckles and how easily you blush and how confident you are and how patient you are when teaching me and-” Neil is cut off by another kiss, this one deeper than the last - a bit more fervent.

This time, Neil clings on to Aaron, uncertain of his skill in kissing, but tries his best to reciprocate. He touches his tongue to each of Aaron's teeth, whimpering when Aaron threads his fingers into his curls and tugs. Neil finds himself trembling, squirming the moment Aaron slips his other hand beneath his t-shirt and grips his side. Neil didn't think making out with someone could be so enjoyable, squirming happily beneath Aaron as they kiss.

Neil doesn’t know how long they kiss for but when they part, he feels that he’s hard, his bulge pressing against Aaron’s hip and -holy shit- Aaron’s own erection pressed against his own hip. He is panting as he looks up at Aaron above him an arm resting beside his head to support himself, the other tucked beneath his shirt, lips red and swollen. Neil’s fingers curl in both Aaron’s hair and his t-shirt at that sight, swallowing hard, aroused.

“I want to do this every day,” Neil bluntly states, grinning at Aaron’s ever-present blush.

“I- well,” Aaron laughs and sits on Neil’s thighs, scratching the back of his head and nervously laughs. “We can- I mean, if… if-”

“If what?” Neil smiles, reaching up to grab Aaron’s hand, shivering as he laces their fingers together.

This seems to give Aaron courage as he kisses Neil’s knuckles on their interlaced fingers. “You can kiss me every day, if-” Aaron flushes and lowers his voice. “-if you agree to be my boyfriend.”

Neil doesn’t need to think about this, unsure why that is, but; “Yes, I want to be your boyfriend.”

“I hoped you’d say that.” The way Aaron lights up is amazing, groaning happily when swallowed in another kiss. This is his first relationship and he can’t help but love how perfect everything is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter 1! <3
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments, I would greatly appreciate the feedback! Share if you wish!
> 
> I'm not sure if this fic will be too long, but I know there will be at least one more chapter coming your way!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't mind. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Aaron's pov this time!
> 
> Thank you fuzzballsheltiepants for betaing!

Aaron can’t help but bristle, as he storms out of the dorm room he shares with his twin brother and cousin. Andrew had kicked him out of the bedroom to be with his boy toy, some asshole named Kevin Day with an ego so big he wants to kick him in the balls just so they’d swell bigger than his head. Some nerve he has, kicking him out - Nicky is in a different dorm, hanging out to get high or whatever, to forget missing Erik - to be with that prick. Andrew wants to fuck around with a selfish asshole like that when he spent all of their freshman year terrorizing Aaron’s ex?

Fucking hypocrite.

Aaron inhales slow and deep the moment he is standing outside the Orange Tower before heading for the car he bought over the summer when he realized he wouldn’t be able to stand sharing one with his brother anymore. A frown tugs at his lips and he shakes his head, feet carrying him to his Chevy Cruze on autopilot, hurling his bag into the passenger seat. It’s stupid, the pang in his chest from missing Katelyn for what she represented with her warm smile and sassy, no-nonsense but fun-loving attitude. He met her at a Halloween party last year and dated her until mid-March, the entire time Andrew terrorizing her, deeming her to be a whore using him and a cheater. A bitch.

_Fucking. Hypocrite_.

Andrew had called Katelyn, a beautiful individual who happened to be a cheerleader for the PSU Vixens and pre-med student that is nice to everyone, a cheating bitch? When he’s dating the most arrogant and biggest asshole he has ever had the displeasure of meeting in his entire life? Seriously? He chased away such a lovely person and then dated someone just as bad as his warped imagination made her out to be? He’ll never get what goes on in his twin’s head...

“Fuck it,” Aaron groans and jerks the car into reverse, driving to the library with the intention of getting coffee at the cafe outside of it. He needs some company, even if it is just the noise of other people’s conversations.

Even with his medium roast coffee with almond milk, his anatomy notes open in front of him and the hum of other cafe-goers talking, he wishes even for Nicky’s incessant chatter. Aaron thinks about it for half of a second and realizes, maybe not, he doesn’t really want to hear about any of Nicky’s conversations with Erik or hear him try to convince him to let Nicky mediate between the twins. Just, no.

His phone pings with an email, thankful for the distraction - a tutoring job for biology 101? Fuck yes, his car payment is ridiculous and given he is a newer driver, his insurance premium is a bit high, he needs the money. Aaron sends a text to the provided number after sending an email, accepting the job, texting them a list of time slots he has available this week and for them to pick a place to meet up. He is mostly finished with his coffee and has reviewed his notes, feeling slightly better when he receives another email about the student he will be seeing from his boss and then while reading it, a text asking for a mid-afternoon appointment on Monday, from a Neil Josten. He does not recognize the name, so he assumes they are a freshman on an athletic scholarship, seeing as he specified ‘after practice’. Doesn’t matter, a job is a job and it will give him something to do while avoiding his brother. At least he won’t be lonely.

And then he _meets_ Neil Josten.

Neil Josten who, upon meeting him face to face, drowns him in an ocean of ice the second his exhausted eyes meet his, calculating and perceptive. Who is _gorgeous_.

Neil Josten who invites him into his dorm suit -nicer than his own, just  _how?_ \- and offers him a drink, only for Aaron to unfairly snap at him because he didn’t get any sleep, due to his stress-induced insomnia.

Neil Josten who doesn’t take his shit and snaps back without missing a beat and still humbly accepts his apology and his excuses. Who still make him a gross espresso -twice more after the first- that ends up being the only thing keeping him awake while re-teaching him the basics of biology 101 with practiced ease. Who seems oblivious to Aaron blatantly checking out his ass because in his exhaustion he somehow forgets what manners are around a sassy, attractive, athletic, but tiny redhead that he wants to kiss senseless. Aaron doesn’t know when he realized that he likes men, but Neil Josten seems to be the first man to really catch his eye.

Neil Josten who doesn’t catch on to _any_ of his subtle hints that he fumbles at him. Who he tries to approach at any chance he can while his brother watches suspiciously from the sidelines -when not fucking Kevin- or hiding behind the guise of being Neil’s tutor around Nicky. Aaron thought all hope to date this gorgeous jock was lost and then he is zoning out during their tutoring sessions. His zoning out that Aaron does nothing about because hey, he’s getting paid and he’s not lonely.

Neil Josten who suddenly admits to being distracted by _Aaron_ himself and touches his freckles with the lightest touch. Who kisses back so carefully and looks at him like he really wants him. Who is strong and not afraid to chase what he wants with inexperienced kisses and gentle hands carefully exploring where Aaron lets him.

Neil Josten who pays for a date that he admits his best friend planned. Who keeps their rapidly developing relationship under wraps without questioning him. Who lets Aaron hold his hand under the blanket on the couch during a movie night and tells his (their?) friends to not say anything until they are ready.

Neil Josten who has looks at him with this soft, affectionate expression whenever they are alone together and Aaron just has to kiss it off of him each time.

Studying is hard when-

 

“Aaron?”

 

Aaron blinks and his eyes refocus, landing on the man from his daydream, looking radiant in the natural light from the window between the two beds in his and Matt’s bedroom. The smile he always has on his face around Neil widens and he lifts his cheek off of his hand, where it was propped up on Neil’s desk. It has been four weeks since they first met, three weeks since they started dating and ever since, they spend _a lot_ of time together. When they don’t have class, Neil practice or a track meet or Aaron work, they are together. Always in Neil’s dorm, never Aaron’s. Aaron is grateful Neil never pushes the matter. Didn’t even question it after he said no, _once_.

“Who is getting distracted instead of studying now?” Neil teases him and Aaron can’t help it when his cheeks flush. He loves that Neil finds it cute, instead of unmanly.

“Still you, babe,” Aaron teases back, standing up from the chair and stretches while walking over to Neil’s bed where he is laying on his front.

Aaron grins when his beautiful boyfriend pushes his books away in anticipation, rolling onto his side to look up at him, part of his stomach peeks out beneath the loose t-shirt he is wearing. A white scar is revealed that Aaron has seen before. He knows there is a painful past behind the five white scars he has found on Neil’s torso, in various sizes, along with the iron burn on his shoulder. Neil was afraid to show him when he took off his shirt the first time they got into a really heated make-out session and Aaron shut him up with a deep kiss before kissing each of those scars. He told Neil he didn’t need to be ashamed and that he can tell him when he’s ready. Their entire relationship has been built thus far on patience and trust.

“Am I now?” Neil cocks an eyebrow at him. He hums into Aaron's mouth as Aaron pushes him onto his back, settling on top of him.

“Always,” Aaron murmurs between delicious kisses, settling a thigh between Neil’s legs while straddling Neil’s. His right hand gripping Neil’s thick, powerful thigh, left bare by the boxer briefs Neil stripped down to just to tease him, groaning when Neil sinks his fingers into his hair and also squeezes his ass while they kiss. He can’t help but stroke as much of Neil’s free leg with his hand as he can reach, squeezing the flesh made smooth by Neil shaving them for track. Aaron loves how the thick, strong muscles feel in his hands and against him or tangled with his own legs.

They haven’t gone further than stripping to their boxers, but Aaron isn’t sure he’s ready for something so intimate with another man who hasn’t dated _anyone_. When Aaron told him he never dated a man before -only kissed a couple guys in high school, drunk, behind closed doors- Neil didn’t care, accepting that this would be a journey for the both of them. Honestly, Aaron can’t get over how easy going his boyfriend is, knowing it is what is making this all the easier. All the more fun for both of them.

“Ah~! A-Aaron!” Neil whimpers beneath him, clinging on for dear life while Aaron kisses across his jaw and down his neck where he latches on to suck a hickey into his flesh.

The sounds Neil makes are absolutely perfect, pooling arousal in Aaron’s abdomen as he gently grinds against Neil’s thigh. Making out with another man isn’t as weird as he ever really thought it would be, finding himself appreciative of Neil’s hard body and toned muscles. That he can feel how turned on Neil is when his erection pressed against him or how sensitive his hard nipples are, connected to a flat chest. He doesn’t compare Neil to Katelyn, it wouldn’t be fair, regardless of gender or similar personality traits. Aaron finds that Neil is an entirely unique person that he makes himself vulnerable to and appreciates how that trust has not been broken.

“So sensitive,” Aaron murmurs into Neil’s neck, pulling back to admire the red mark he left. He hisses when Neil grinds up against him, _wonderfully_ stimulating his half hard cock and gives him a biting kiss. “No fair, Neil,” he gives Neil a taste of his own medicine, only for his boyfriend to grab him harder, wrapping his free leg around him for leverage. “If you- you keep doing that-”

“ _Do something_ about it, if you need to,” Neil murmurs against his mouth, panting as they begin to rock together. His words short-circuit Aaron’s brain for a moment, trying to think, trying to figure out what he wants to do.

Aaron knows he’s not ready for much more, but he’s so turned on, they both are, and what they are doing works just fine, so he shifts on top of Neil for a better angle. The shift has him choking on a moan that Neil cuts off by crushing their mouths together in a sloppy kiss, rocking against each other in desperation. With Neil’s fingers digging into his back and his teeth clacking against his own, it doesn’t take long, gasping and hiding a whimper by burying his face in Neil’s neck. Combined with the newness of his partner and how long it has been since he’s had such intimate contact, Aaron stutters against Neil, coming in his pants, soaking his boxers. Even though he is flying high from his orgasm Aaron still remembers his boyfriend’s pleasure and presses his thigh harder against Neil’s erection.

“Aaron!” Neil cries out, thrusting against his thigh and Aaron knows that he came, smirking against his neck as the both of them slump against each other, breathing hard, hearts pounding against their chest cavities. “Aaron…” Neil mumbles his name and his skin tingles, feeling warm. His name on Neil’s lips always manages to make him smile.

“We’re sticky…”

Aaron snorts at that and nuzzles against his neck. “Astute deduction, Sherlock,” Aaron teases, not ready to move just yet. Comfortable, but the sticky mess is cooling and quickly reducing said comfort.

“Does that make you Dr. Watson?” Neil teases and Aaron laughs at him, pushing up to look down at his boyfriend, eyebrow raised. “Well, you’re the pre-med student,” he says with a cheeky smile.

“So I’m the sidekick that keeps your smart mouth out of trouble while solving crimes?” Aaron fires back playfully, tugging on an auburn curl. He’s curious at that increasingly familiar glint in Neil’s eye when he has something smart to say.

“I don’t know, Aaron, given how we met, I think you might have a smart mouth too, with the right amount of encouragement.”

Aaron gapes at his boyfriend for a second, an embarrassed blush painting his too pale skin. “ _Neil!_ ” He had felt _awful_ about how he treated Neil when they first met and now- his train of thought is slammed to a halt by Neil himself with a hard, but affectionate kiss. Neil’s understanding is palpable as he kisses his face, over the freckles he constantly traces and allows him to relax.

“It’s okay, Aaron,” Neil whispers, kissing the triangle of freckles beneath his eye, making his eyes flutter shut. That triangle is Neil’s favorite spot to kiss - other than his lips.

Just thinking about how Neil fawns over them is enough for Aaron to fully calm down - only to remember the state of their boxers, “We should get cleaned up,” he murmurs while Neil kisses his face.

“Let’s go get dinner after,” Neil suggests. “We can grab a table by the window so Matty and Dan can sit with us.” Aaron smiles and nods his answer, giving Neil one last kiss before getting up.

Neil lets him use the bathroom to clean up, giving him a clean pair of his boxer briefs; a ridiculous pair of orange and white ones with little foxes running around on them, he loves them because Neil said they were his favorite. Aaron hopes Neil knows that he will not be getting them back. He also has his eye on Neil’s oversized PSU hoodie, biding his time for cool enough weather when he can steal that too.

Aaron can’t help but smile to himself when he walks back into the bedroom where Neil is finishing up, in tight athletic leggings and an oversized t-shirt that makes him look adorable as always. He watches Neil toss some wet wipes in the bin and grab Aaron’s things, carefully putting them in his bag for him, heart clenching happily that Neil is doing it for him. When Neil turns around, he looks startled to see him there for just a second before he’s smiling and holding out Aaron’s bag.

“Thanks, babe,” Aaron murmurs, tugging Neil forward by the strap of his bag for a chaste kiss.

When Neil giggles, his heart swells, cheeks pink. “Come on, Aaron, let’s go before we end up in bed again.” Aaron flushes at his teasing.

“What do you mean?” He feels confused as he was just thanking him for being sweet to him.

“With the way you look at me, it makes me want to jump you,” Neil winks and grabs his own bag with his things inside and Aaron’s hand.

Ears now burning from Neil’s confession, Aaron lets himself be pulled out of the bedroom. “What way am I looking at you?” He squeaks, voice almost inaudible.

Neil just looks back at him with a smile that says so much and not enough. Neil looks at him like he gave him something that he didn’t know he needed oh so desperately, something- oh. Aaron’s lips curl into a shy smile when he realizes what Neil meant the moment they step outside Fox Tower, Neil giving his hand an understanding squeeze before he lets go.

That is exactly how _he_ looks at Neil. Well, _fuck_ , he still wears his heart on his sleeve. They haven’t even stepped off of the sidewalk when Aaron grabs his _boyfriend’s_ hand again, despite the other students milling about, his paranoia and worry drowned in that ocean of ice in Neil’s eyes. The sheer happiness in them has Aaron holding on tighter, their fingers interlocking. He isn’t letting go if he doesn’t have to. He knows what he wants and he has him.

 

~

 

“ _Neil_ , it’s just Texas hold ‘em, we’re not even playing for money,” Matt taunts Aaron’s boyfriend, Dan at his side, across from him and Neil.

“I don’t like losing and I’m better at blackjack,” Neil complains, worrying his lip while looking between the cards on the table between their half-eaten trays of food and the ones in his hands. Aaron instinctively reaches up, using his thumb to pull Neil’s lip from between his teeth, smiling when Neil flushes. Aaron feels his face heat up as well.

“I know you’re a math genius, but counting cards is cheating, babe.” Across from them, he ignores Matt’s cooing and Dan’s giggle, apparently they really supported his dating Neil. He’s glad for this because Neil has made him unspeakably happy in less than a month of dating. What more is Neil’s -and he supposes now his?- friends are respectful and understanding, as well as fun. They let him drink their booze during their last three movie nights and didn’t even make fun of him for being a clingy drunk that koala hugged Neil throughout the entire second movie at the last get together. Everything about this beats his freshman year by a mile.

“It’s a friendly game of cards between friends,” Neil deadpans, tipping his cards accidentally and Aaron sees why he is so uncertain, his hand sucks. “We’re not playing in a casino or even for money,” Neil tries to convince him and he rolls his eyes, grinning when Neil pouts.

Aaron’s arm wraps around Neil’s shoulders, toying with a curl to make his boyfriend stop pouting and before he can say anything, a familiar high pitched squeal deafens them. All four of them snap their gazes to the side where his heart drops into his stomach upon seeing Nicky. Aaron is frozen, knowing the color had to have drained from his face, gripping Neil to him and at a complete loss at what to say. When he made the choice to be more open about his dating Neil (roughly thirty minutes ago), he didn’t even _think_ about his family seeing him at the time.

“Aaron! I knew it, you did like Red there,” Nicky squeals again, looking at Neil, appraising him with a leer. “What a catch you are, cutie pie, is my little cousin treating you right?” Aaron tenses up at his cousin’s words, pulling Neil against his side.

“Look here-”

“Aaron takes very good care of me - as I do him, but I don’t see how that is any of your business, Mr…” Aaron is halted in his words by Neil’s own, turning to look at his boyfriend, who is staring Nicky down with a piercing stare that is twice as intense as the one turned on him at their first meeting. Damn his boyfriend is hot when using his sharp tongue to be a badass.

Nicky laughs it off, probably unaffected because Andrew has threatened him with a literal knife before. Several times. _Uhg._

“Oh gosh! Aaron, I adore him!” Nicky coos, much like Matt does but… “I’m Nicky! It’s nice to meet you…?”

“Neil.”

Aaron doesn’t bother looking at Neil to see his expression, his ‘that’s all I’m giving you, so say something, I dare ya’, tone is all he needs to picture it. He stares at his cousin and watches his smile widen, but then he grows a bit nervous, looking around the dining hall, making Aaron do the same.

“ _Hey,_ ” Nicky switches to German and Aaron feels Neil tense under his arm. “ _I uh, saw you in the window when I was walking by and you two are hella cute, but Andrew and Kevin are coming to get dinner in like, five minutes or less_.”

“ _I’m not worried about him, he’s dating an actual asshole, so he has no right to scrutinize_ _my_ _boyfriend_ ,” Aaron responds in German as well, turning to Neil with a gentle smile when he jolts at his speech. “Sorry, we’re not sayin’ nothin’ bad about you, babe, just my asshole brother.” Thankfully Neil smiles at his words, relaxing into his hold.

“ _So are you two happy_?” Nicky asks him, sounding nervous as he plays with his fingers. There is hope in his warm brown eyes.

“ _Very, Neil is amazing, he makes me beyond happy_ ,” Aaron grins, face heating up again as he looks to Neil once more, finding his boyfriend to be blushing brilliantly while Nicky coos at him. Out of the corner of his eye, Matt and Dan -who were prepared to stand up to Nicky- are relaxed now. Aaron is busy wondering what has Neil so flustered but can’t help but smile when Neil cups his cheek and traces over his freckles affectionately.

He is startled out of his thoughts when a fist bangs on the window by their table, snapping everyone’s eyes over to find Aaron’s twin brother, Andrew, smiling maniacally at Aaron and Neil. Somehow his brother looks murderous and intrigued as well, he can’t help but squeeze Neil closer, not looking away from his brother. Andrew’s head is thrown back in a manic laugh as he wags his finger at Aaron, pushing away from the window, he heads for the door that’ll let him into the building. _Andrew’s_ boyfriend, Kevin Day is trailing along, staring at his phone.

“You should get out of here Red!” Nicky panics, making Aaron livid.

“We’re friends, Aaron,” Dan gets his attention. “But if he puts his hands on Neil-”

Aaron narrows his eyes at her. “I won’t let that happen, okay babe?” He turns to promise these words to Neil, only to find a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Babe?

“I think it’s high time I meet the infamous Andrew ‘The Monster’ Minyard, hm?” Neil smirks, even using air quotes again. Aaron wants to kiss him. Too bad his twin is already strolling over.

“Well if it isn’t my long lost brother,” Andrew taunts, arms crossed over his broad chest, fingering one of his armbands. Aaron notices how Neil doesn’t even respond, Matt and Dan tensing, Nicky whimpering softly. “Is _that_ the reason you have been ignoring my texts and where you are instead of working at the tutoring lab?” Andrew stares pointedly at the protective arm Aaron has around Neil before switching to German. “ _Not coming back to the dorm to spend time with another whore? Playing gay this time because you are sooo desperate to stick your dick somewhere_?”

Aaron snarls, making to stand, _defend_ his boyfriend’s honor because he does NOT deserve to be talked about like that!, when said boyfriend laughs and stops him from standing up by grabbing his hand.

“ _I am not entirely certain why you think I am a whore,_ ” Aaron’s eyes tripled in size when Neil switches to German fluently, shocked and honestly _aroused_. “ _But I assure you that that, as well as Aaron’s sexuality, is none of your fucking business._ ” Aaron swallows hard at the scrutinizing way Neil looks Andrew up and down while his thumb strokes the back of his hand. “ _Seeing as you waste your time with the likes of Kevin Day_.”

Aaron looks back to find his brother smiling even wider, clearly ‘interested’ in Neil and not in the way he was with Katelyn. He doesn’t like it. Aaron’s eyes moving to Kevin instead. By the way Kevin does not deign to look up from whatever he is doing on his phone -one earbud in- while he opens his mouth to snap at Neil in what he thinks is French and Neil laughing while responding in kind, they know each other.

“ _I’m pretty sure all you want Kev for is a pretty face and a warm body beneath you_ ,” Neil switches back, Aaron’s head is spinning with the sheer amount of new information on Neil flooding his brain, struggling to keep up. His brother just smiles on, waiting for him to continue. “ _Lucky for you, Kev doesn’t care about anything but lacrosse and having a way to relieve stress._ ” Aaron blinks as Neil switches again, this time to English - so easily, his head is spinning. “I’m sure you knew that already.”

“Very interesting,” Andrew says after a moment, head tilted at Neil before swiveling to look at Aaron. Andrew glares at his brother, darkly. “Your whore has a mouth on him.” Aaron glares just as darkly as he insults Neil, _again_. Fucking asshole.

This comment also has Matt and Dan snarling at Andrew, hissing at him to fuck off or they’ll get campus security. Nicky looks frantic and torn about what to do when Andrew just snaps his fingers at Kevin before smirking at Neil while walking away.

Speaking of Neil-

He grins as he says something in French again, after Kevin, the athlete waving his middle finger back at him as he follows Andrew. Aaron has so many questions, looking at his boyfriend as Neil watches Andrew and Kevin depart. He has so many things he wants to say but;

“ _I didn’t know you could speak German and French was it? When did that happen_?” He finally chooses to ask in German, loving how Neil smiles softly at him, lacing their held hands together.

“ _I’m a math major with a minor in languages. I grew up learning French and my uncle insisted that I learn German and Russian. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I didn’t think it would matter_ ,” Neil finishes his statement with tugging on Aaron’s hair and he can’t help but kiss him, cupping Neil’s cheek as he threads his tongue inside his mouth and curls with Neil’s while Nicky, Matt, and Dan all screech in delight. When they pull away, they are both blushing.

“ _You are unbelievably sexy and I love that about you, do you realize that?_ ” Aaron stares into Neil’s icy blue eyes, feeling his heart skip when they widen at his words, blushing deeply.

“You two are so fucking cute!” Nicky shrieks before Neil can reply, annoying Aaron.

Neil squeaks and shoves his face into Aaron’s neck while Aaron glares at his cousin, and he so wanted to know what Neil was thinking. So he deepens his glare, pulling Neil closer and threading his fingers into his curls, feeling so _right_ holding his boyfriend close like this.

“S-sorry, I-I just-”

“Nicky,” Aaron cuts his embarrassed, stuttering cousin off, scratching Neil’s skull when he curiously peeks out from where he hid his face. “Go grab your food and join us.”

The delighted shriek and brilliant smile on Nicky’s face before he rushes to do as told, has Aaron smiling and shaking his head, but tugging on Neil’s curls while trying to ignore Matt and Dan’s affectionate smiles. The two of them watching Aaron and Neil interact, look like proud parents.

“ _I hope you don’t mind Nicky joining us, he’s an idiotic pervert, but he looked after me and my brother early on and he means well_.”

Aaron flushes when Neil pulls back, smiling brilliantly at him. “ _As long as you don’t mind._ ”

For a couple heartbeats, Aaron wonders if the man in front of him is truly a dream because no one in his life has ever been so kind, or selfless. “ _I don’t mind_ ,” he murmurs and then kisses him sweetly, loving how Neil clings to him so desperately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;_; THESE TWO ARE SAPPY AND GROSS AND I LOVE THEM!!!
> 
> So does everyone else!
> 
> XD
> 
> So yeah, Kandrew... Andrew is so mad - ps, he IS on his meds in this! 
> 
> I didn't mean for it to become a thing, this fic, but now I know there will be at least a few more chapters! Aaron and Neil gots to fall madly in love and do the do. XD <3
> 
> I love you guys for reading, please leave kudos and comments. I would love to know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Neil's POV again!
> 
> Thank you fuzzballsheltiepants for betaing!

Warm, so warm, Neil hums as he begins to wake from a deep sleep, hands are softly touching him everywhere and there is a heavy weight pressed to his back. Vaguely he recognizes his alarm going off and the hands leave, the alarm shuts off and the hands return, tracing his abs and scars. He doesn’t want to wake up; is he still sleeping? He hasn’t tried to open his eyes, snuggling into the warmth and mumbles as something hot and wet latches onto his neck.

“Mhmmm…” he feels boneless, tingling from the contact that is slowly bringing him to consciousness. The hand moves from his stomach, sliding over his thigh and dipping between his legs, palm rubbing the sensitive skin there while the back of a hand brushes his interested cock. “O-Oh…” Neil moans a little, the hand squeezing his inner thigh as teeth nip his ear.

“Shhh…,” A familiar voice comes from the body pressed against his back. More awake now, Neil registers it is his boyfriend who is massaging and squeezing his thigh and nipping his ear. “Feel good baby?” Aaron whispers, Neil loves how thick his voice is first thing in the morning and his erection fully forms just thinking about how good it feels to wake up with him here.

“Ah~...” Neil whimpers softly, tipping his head back as Aaron touches him, enjoying his skillful, careful hands. Not taking but giving. Neil presses his back against his boyfriend’s chest, hand reaching up to thread into his soft blond locks, tangled from sleeping.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Aaron murmurs while he pushes up a bit while Neil cranes his neck to face him, Neil feels him smiling against his mouth when he kisses him. Briefly, Neil registers the faint remnants of the mint toothpaste they brushed their teeth with last night as their tongues curl together languidly. That thought is punched out of him when Aaron’s hand slips into his boxers and grasps his cock. He can’t help but mewl pitifully into his boyfriend’s mouth.

Kissing his boyfriend is always an experience, as is exploring each other's bodies. _Especially_ making their partner feel good. Aaron making him whimper and moan and mewl with everything he’s doing, only to swallow each of those noises with tender kisses, is driving Neil _crazy_. He’s a mess. His warm, strong hands on his body and his heat radiating from Aaron's body pressed alongside Neil makes Neil mewl again and Aaron simply chuckles as he swallows those noises too.

Neil tries to turn more, to face Aaron as his strong, hot hand strokes him from root to tip as slowly as his tongue explores his mouth. He only manages to wriggle against Aaron, feeling his hard cock pressed against his ass, separated by two thin pairs of boxers. The arm propping Aaron up allows him to take hold of Neil’s curls, tangled and tugging as they kiss. A particularly good twist of Aaron’s hand has his cock leaking and his hips buck suddenly when Aaron uses his palm to gather precum, tormenting the head pleasantly.

Aaron returns to jerking his cock slowly, squeezing just right and returning for more of his precum for lubrication, making this surprise wakeup call all that much better. Neil melts into a puddle of pleasure as Aaron rocks his hips slowly against his ass, not letting Neil pull from their slow kiss. Being so pleasantly overwhelmed, Neil quickly spills into Aaron’s hand with a soft cry that Aaron swallows with another chuckle, smiling against his mouth while stroking him through his orgasm.

“What about you?” Neil mumbles against his lips after his brain stops buzzing for a moment. He finally opens his eyes to find Aaron’s lidded eyes staring back at him, the sight makes his skin tingle, breath hitching as Aaron’s takes his bottom lip between his teeth.

Neil doesn’t register that Aaron had pulled his hand from his spent cock until he realizes that he is stroking himself with his hand still covered in Neil’s cum. Aaron bites his lip harder, but not enough to break skin when he comes, sucking in air before kissing him hard. Neil’s brain short-circuits, overloaded from the experience.

As Aaron comes down from his post-orgasm high, Neil only a couple moments ahead of him, Neil carefully turns over to face him, still kissing languidly and begins petting his blond locks. Aaron looks at him with sleepy eyes, smiling dopily against his mouth. The sight and feeling of his boyfriend pressed against him like this, makes his heart thud hard in his chest.

“We should go shower, you have practice in an hour,” Aaron murmurs against his lips, clearly worn out, pleasantly so, from his orgasm, just as Neil is. Neil though, being who he is, doesn’t think about what he is doing when Aaron pulls his hand out of his boxers and grabs his wrist much to Aaron’s confusion. Keeping their eyes locked, Neil licks the cooling cum on Aaron’s palm, intrigued and a little turned on from the salty taste. When Aaron’s eyes widen at the action before darkening with arousal once again, Neil meets him in a heated kiss that has them both wide awake.

Neil pushes Aaron on his back, gripping his hair and begins grinding against him, his cock trying to perk up despite just coming because everything about his attraction to Aaron is exciting and arousing. He wants to try everything with him all at once while attempting to swallow Aaron’s tongue while shoving his down Aaron’s throat simultaneously. The feeling of Aaron’s strong hands gripping his ass and clawing at his back beneath his sleep shirt draws out the loudest noises he has ever made, gasping and moaning and mewling with need as Aaron groans and growls with him.

Their fun is cut short when an embarrassed squeak comes from across the room, that Neil only registers because Aaron freezes below him. Neil reluctantly pulls his mouth away from Aaron’s to find his roommate and best friend, Matt staring at them wide-eyed, looking as if he froze in the middle of sitting up from his sleep position. Neil feels the question mark form over his head, eyebrow raised at Matt’s reaction and when Aaron yanks the covers over them he realizes it.

“Neil-”

“Sorry, Matty!” Neil cuts Matt off and sits on Aaron’s thighs, watching his best friend stutter and stumble over trying to form words and looks at his boyfriend who at some point, had covered his face with a pillow.

“I don’t have to be up for two hours,” Matt squeaks and it makes Neil giggle because Matt and Dan have gotten very intense with him in the room before, so watching him get embarrassed is very gratifying. “Can you, maybe, go in the bathroom? Clean up after!” Neil watches in amusement as Matt dives face first into his pillow, yanking his comforter over his head.

Shaking his head, Neil looks down at Aaron and pulls the pillow away, smirking at his flush that is very noticeable in the light let in through the curtains. “Come on,” he finds himself urging, heart beating fast, cock already half hard again. “You heard him,” at Aaron’s wide-eyed stare, he smirks wider. “You wanted to shower? Let’s _do it_ together,” he intentionally emphasizes ‘do it’ feeling very bold despite his inexperience and _loves_ how Aaron becomes both aroused and nervous, nodding twice, lips parted.

“Come on,” Neil repeats and climbs off of him. He appreciates the sight of Aaron’s bare chest and wearing Neil’s boxers snug on his body, bulging with Aaron’s interested cock. He grins at Aaron’s responding flush and shifts his attention to getting towels, toiletries and clean clothes for after their shower and leads him to the bathroom.

Aaron is _so_ nervous, even more so when they are undressing in the bathroom. Neil can’t help but find it sweet how his boyfriend shies away, hiding his body once undressed, so he keeps his eyes on his face when looking at him but focuses on getting the shower ready. Once the shower is running hot and Neil is completely bare, he holds his hand out to Aaron, smiling gently at the uncertainty pouring out of him.

“We don’t have to do anything; just shower,” Neil reassures him, eyes softening at Aaron’s wide, surprised stare.

“I-I just,” Aaron bites his lip. “This is the furthest I’ve gone with a guy,” he confesses, voice dropping with each word until almost inaudible. “I wanted to make you feel good this morning but… I’m still trying to process what I did…”

‘ _It's the furthest I've gone with anyone._ ’ Neil realizes; not that it matters, he just doesn't get it, but still tries to understand for Aaron's sake.

Neil’s breathes out a laugh as Aaron fidgets and musters the courage to step towards him, draping his arms around his bare shoulders, still warm from sleep. When Aaron doesn’t look up at him, neck and ears red, he slowly tugs him closer until they are pressed flush together, making Aaron gasp, hands shakily resting on his waist. Skin to skin; a toned chest to a broader chest, scarred, muscular stomach to flat stomach, thunder thighs to…

Neil suddenly _feels_ Aaron’s cock, uncovered, for the first time and steps back, _having_ to look. He can feel Aaron staring at him while he looks at his half hard cock and Neil blinks rapidly before looking at his boyfriend, feeling himself flush as dark as Aaron is.

“Is _that_ _thing_ supposed to fit inside me?” Neil squeaks, without meaning to and slaps his hand over his mouth at the look of horror on Aaron’s face. “I’m sorry-”

Aaron’s loud laughter cuts him off and Neil smiles, dropping his hands from his face to instead flush against his stomach. Neil shakes his head affectionately, glad to see Aaron’s nervousness fade away.

“Come on, let's get cleaned up,” Neil orders gently once Aaron starts calming down.

“Baby, you're the best,” Aaron tells him before he can pull him under the hot spray, eyes genuine and Neil feels his heart skip a beat.

“Come on you sap,” Neil grins.

They shower, without getting too handsy, getting to know each other's bodies as they wash each other's skin and hair.  It was strange, how... intimate it was. Neil had never let anyone see him totally bare, but Aaron had never blinked at his scars.  No; he seemed to study the way water slipped over the irregularities like he was memorizing a formula, and it was easier somehow, to forget all about them in favor of learning the lines of Aaron’s body.

Matt was asleep or pretending to be, when they tiptoed through with hushed laughter on their way out the door.

 

\---Days later---

 

“Hey...,” Neil hears a scratchy voice and turns to find his boyfriend approaching, or a version of him at least, wearing his hoodie that he stole the other day and a black beanie. Neil feels as if something is off while standing to greet him with a kiss. “I don't want to get you sick, I have a cold,” not-Aaron tells him while evading a kiss, so instead, Neil hugs him and squeezes him tighter instead of jumping away.

‘ _You asshole,_ ’ Neil growls mentally.

_What the fuck is Andrew doing?_ _Let's see where this goes_. The mischievous troublemaker in him decides.

“No wonder you didn't stay over last night…” Neil murmurs instead. “Sit, I'll get you your tea, _baby_ .” Neil smiles when he pulls back cupping his cheek to touch his favorite triangle of freckles that _Aaron_ has beneath his eye, but no such set of freckles exist on Andrew's face, despite them being identical twins. Even if he couldn't tell by that, Andrew's muscles are twice as bulky as his brother's.

“Thanks, babe,” Andrew whispers in his scratchy voice, smiling as he pulls away.

‘ _He's a good actor_.’

Neil winks and jogs over to the counter, but instead of ordering Aaron's favorite Earl Grey (having fallen in love with it when Neil had him try it and now they have the same order at the cafe), he gets a wildberry black tea with extra honey - enough that he can’t imagine Andrew being able to drink it. The barista stares at him when he orders and Neil just smiles as he pays them. While waiting he gets a text from Aaron;

 

**Rin~♡:** Hey Red, sorry I'm running late, I can’t find my hoodie.

**Neil:** Don't you mean my hoodie?

**Rin~♡:** … it's mine forever now.  
You may wear it after laundry day so it smells like you, but I want it back.

**Neil:** Whatever you say, Rin.

**Rin~♡:** :]

 

Neil can't help but crack a smile, forgetting his surroundings for just a moment when ‘Aaron’s’ tea is prepared. After steeling himself, he brings Andrew the paper cup it is served in.

“Here you go babe,” Neil smiles softly as he places it on the table in front of Andrew and takes his seat in front of his laptop again but closes it.

“Thanks,” Andrew croaks and gives him a smile. Neil is reminded of a few sociopaths he knows with how well Andrew manages to mimic the affection in his gaze. Andrew’s eyes have too many flecks of blue in them, whereas Aaron’s have more gold. Neil has spent too many hours staring at his boyfriend to not notice the difference. “You’re so good to me.” His comment sounds forced.

Neil’s smile widens at ‘Aaron’ and then returns to his laptop, saving his work before he shuts down and closes it. He’s tucking the laptop away so he can spend time with his ‘boyfriend’ before class and notes out of the corner of his eyes Andrew taking a sip and flinches ever so slightly before putting the cup down, hiding it with a cough but he doesn’t say anything about it.

“ _Babe_ , that sounds terrible. You should go back to bed,” Neil props his head up on his hand, elbow firmly planted on the table while he stares at Andrew. Recognition glances through Andrew’s eyes and Neil allows a smirk to plant itself on his face, staring him down.

_Your move, asshole_.

“Thanks, _babe_ ,” Andrew joins in being passive-aggressive. Cute. “But I wanted to talk to you.”

“What about?” Neil smiles a bit wider, motioning with his free hand.

“Us.”

Neil lifts an auburn eyebrow and motions again. “I’m always happy to talk about ‘us’ _Aaron_.” Neil watches Andrew fight down a wave of anger and darts his eyes down at his tea daringly, honestly surprised that Andrew maintains eye contact while taking a long sip.

“Why are you with me when _I_ keep so many secrets?”

_Seriously?_

“We agreed that we wouldn’t push each other,” Neil blinks. “We’d share when ready and not judge each other.” Andrew just narrows his eyes slightly at Neil, so he continues. “It’s been less than two months, Jean tells me it takes a long time to share everything about ourselves. I’m in no rush to learn everything about _Aaron Minyard_.”

“Who is _Jean_?” Andrew asks with a suspicious note in his voice.

Neil smiles warmly as memories of Jean pop up. “An old friend of mine.” Andrew’s brows draw down over his eyes, and Neil is startled to realize that Andrew is being genuinely protective over his brother. It’s… almost sweet. “I met him in France when traveling overseas with my uncle for his work - I trust him with my life.”

“Trust is not something to be given lightly.”

“I would know from experience,” Neil frowns at Andrew. “I have been very recently reminded of that fact, _Aaron_.”

“Aren't you worried about how damaged I am?”  Andrew’s words are heavy with secrets he has no right to share.

Neil glares at Andrew, just what the fuck is he doing? _Why_?

“That's something _Aaron_ should tell me, _not_ his asshole brother!” Neil snaps, getting beyond agitated.

“Aaron doesn't have to tell you shit,” Andrew deadpans, emotion bleeding from his expression. It’s as though a mask dropped over his features, a wax cast of his face designed to fool people into believing him apathetic.

_What the_ …

“You're right, he doesn't,” Neil frowns. “But it's still none of your business.”

“Aaron _is_ my business, I'll kill anyone who dares touch him.”

Neil rolls his eyes, despite having a hunch Andrew is serious about killing him. “Not the first time someone has threatened me and it doesn't matter, the only touches Aaron gets are the ones he asks for. So give him back my hoodie and fuck off!”

“Leave him alone,” Andrew growls and Neil bristles.

“If Aaron wants me gone, he can tell me himself- until then, I'm not going anywhere.” Neil knocks his chair over, storming off with his things before he can do something he'll regret. For some reason… he feels that he might have already done that.

 

\---

 

“Neil!”

Neil, in an irritated haze, looks up to see _Aaron_ jogging towards him with a troubled expression on his face. He feels a bit more at ease upon seeing his boyfriend, almost not noticing Nicky following after him. Neil frowns at the sight of his hoodie in Aaron's arms and looks up at him again, watching as he tries to work out what he's going to say.

“Neil, I-” Aaron falters and Neil waits patiently.

“Sorry about Andrew- he has a bad habit of trying to interrogate people and gets hostile. He means well, he's just protective,” Nicky speaks up for Aaron, Neil guesses he was there when Andrew returned his hoodie to his twin and apparently told him what he did. Honestly, Neil is surprised about that.

“Nicky!” Aaron hisses, cheeks red.

“Did he tell you what he said to me?” Neil interrupts.

The color drains from Aaron's face and Neil feels for him. This is not a conversation for the hallway with students milling around. He can tell Aaron is conflicted between feeling defensive and scared, the beautiful gold in his hazel eyes snuffed out with flecks of grey fear and he doesn't like it. He stares at the triangle under his eye and watches the gold return when he presses his thumb to it. The panic smoothing out of his expression.

“ _I think my father would have killed me if my uncle didn't save me_ ,” Neil offers this in German, an opening for Aaron to walk through if he chose. He watches Aaron's eyes widen with shock and hears Nicky's strangled noise.  Shit. He had forgotten Nicky also speaks German since he taught the twins. Oh well, too late.

“ _So— so your scars_?” Aaron's voice is strangled, Neil feels his fingers grab the hem of his shirt and gets goosebumps. He nods. “Baby… I— Fuck.” He looks so tired. Neil just pulls him in for a hug that he returns with a heavy sigh.

“You guys gonna be okay?” Nicky brings Neil back to reality and feels cold when Aaron pulls back, but grateful when his hand finds his own, fingers lacing together.

“Yeah,” Aaron voices and Neil nods, squeezing Aaron's hand. Nicky's relief is palpable, his expression smoothing out. Neil likes him despite his perverted comments and obsessive behavior.

“Thank _god,_ I was worried about my real life OTP.  Well, besides me and my Erik of course.” Nicky makes a sappy comment in Spanish and Neil suspects he should regret letting Nicky start teaching him words and phrases. He had never thought being able to pick up languages fast would be a liability. Nicky excuses himself to class and Neil lets out a sigh of relief.

Neil turns to Aaron and watches how he shifts awkwardly and the strain in his shoulders, his tense jaw.

“What is it?”

Neil is surprised to see the confusion and nervousness in his eyes, replacing the fear that had faded away.

“ _Did you tell me that because you think I'm hiding things from you_?” Aaron switches back to German. Confused, Neil lifts an auburn brow. “... _is this your way of telling me you don't like keeping secrets anymore_?” Aaron looks like he's about to have a full blown panic attack and Neil is just lost. “ _We haven't been together that long, are we not moving fast enough for you_?”

Neil's head hurts. This isn't a conversation he was expecting to have and not in the middle of the fucking hallway— at least it's in _German_. God, he's missing class. Not that he cares, but...

“ _Aaron, what the hell are you talking about_?” Neil pinches the bridge of his nose when his boyfriend bristles. “ _I thought we agreed to tell each other things when we were ready? I told you that because I felt you would understand having an abusive upbringing_.” When Aaron drops his hand and steps back, facing him with his arms folded, he feels tired. “Aaron.”

“ _Then why did you tell Andrew that I should have told you about my upbringing_?” Aaron sounds hurt.

Now his head is spinning even though Aaron bringing up this morning's interaction with Andrew helped make sense of it all. He hates how when he tries to reassure Aaron by cupping his face, he pulls away. Frowning, Neil drops his hand, a pit in his stomach as he grips the strap of his bag instead.

“ _Did he also tell you I wouldn't touch you unless you wanted me to_?” Neil watches confusion slip into his expression again and sighs, running his hand through his curls. Aaron doesn't watch nor fix the mess he probably made of his hair like he normally would, instead staring. “ _Aaron, he made it clear you have secrets of your own and it pissed me off that he would break your trust like that. I meant that I didn't want to hear that from anyone but you, when_ **_you_ ** _were ready. Okay_?” He stares back, waiting.

“... That's all?” Aaron finally drops his arms when Neil nods seriously, letting them hang at his sides, loosely gripping his hoodie. Now he looks as exhausted as Neil feels.

“C’mere,” Neil beckons, motioning for him to come, not touching until Aaron shuffles forward, arms wrapped around his waist, face in his neck. Neil nuzzles his soft blond hair and breathes him in.

“M'sorry…” Aaron mumbles into his neck.

“Me too.” Neil feels content at the kiss pressed to his neck. He can't help but wonder how much more trouble his boyfriend's twin is going to cause them.

 

\---some Halloween type party---

 

“I haven't seen him that happy… I’ve never seen him smile like that.”

Neil stares at the pretty girl in front of him and tilts his head. She is wearing her cheerleading uniform, much like Neil who lazily wore his track uniform and called it a costume. “Excuse me?” _oh no, is he getting hit on again?_ He stares at the way she smiles softly at him, fiddling with her drink. He just wanted to get some punch and snacks for him and Aaron.  “Uh, sorry, but I have a boyfriend,” he says seriously, hoping she'll leave.

She laughs genuinely and shakes her head, further confusing Neil. “I _know_ , Aaron is a lucky man and _you_ are lucky to have him, Neil. I'm glad you're taking care of him.”

Neil regrets drinking the alcoholic punch now, feeling clueless. “Do we know you?” Still, he takes another sip from his cup, juggling both his and Aaron’s. At least he didn’t end up at the snack table yet.

“I'm Aaron's ex, Katelyn.” she frowns very faintly before looking confused. “Surely you knew we broke up last semester?”

Neil tilts his head, staring at Katelyn and does not recognize her from any photos he’s looked through in Aaron’s phone, all he remembers is Aaron telling him his brother ruined his last relationship and that was that. “I knew he had a girlfriend that his brother chased off, but he didn’t tell me anything about you and I didn’t care to ask,” he tells her bluntly, sipping his punch while Katelyn looks like she was slapped in the face.

“Oh! I uh— ” Katelyn stumbles over her words, bright red and shoulders hunching over, making her look shorter than the few inches she is taller than him. “I guess that's fair,” she mumbles.

What did Aaron see in her? Sure she is pretty, but… Aaron always said one of his favorite things about Neil was how confident he is— and his sass. Didn't Matt and Dan say something about exes being awkward around the new girlfriend? Er… boyfriend in his case? And Andrew literally chased her off, so maybe he hurt her? Hm…

“Did Andrew hurt you?” Neil finds himself asking, tilting his head. He watches as Katelyn jolts, eyes wide. He sips his punch and idly wonders where his boyfriend is.

“H-He pretended to be Aaron a few times and he um, he cornered me with a—a knife to my throat, twice. Threatened me more times than I care to count...” Neil isn't impressed with her stuttering, but then again, he spent the first eight years of his life being tortured and even wields a few knives of his own. “Aaron said he chased off a few girls in high school before they could even really get anywhere.”

“I see, he did that to me not that long ago, trying to scare me off by telling me about Aaron's upbringing.” Katelyn looks angry at that and he thinks he sees the fire in her that Aaron likes, even if it is dimmed a bit.

“I can't believe he'd do that to his own brother! The one he claims to be protecting.” Neil blinks. “I turned the other cheek for the longest time because of what he did for his cousin Nicky, but…”

“What happened to Nicky?” Neil frowns.

Katelyn shares his frown. “A couple years ago he was attacked by four homophobes in Columbia. Andrew beat the shit out of them, he hospitalized all four.” Neil is actually impressed. “He spent three years in juvie when he was younger.” It seems she has a bit of a loose tongue, and Neil is not going to complain. “So because of his record, they arrested him and ordered him to take mood-altering drugs for three years...” That explains the manic expressions, Neil supposed.   “...and see a therapist weekly, to not get into any more trouble or they'll put him in jail.”

“And yet you didn't report him to the police for all the times he came after you?” Neil decides to test her, watching her grow pale. “You could have fixed all this if he was in jail, still been with Aaron— not that I want you and him to date since we're together, but _still_.” When she frowns, shifting uncomfortably, he wonders if he went too far, if the alcohol has made his mouth loose.

“I—I mean, he… he's Aaron's _brother_ , and they only met for the first time at like, sixteen. They were separated at birth and—” Neil holds up a hand and she stops.

“Alright, now you're going into overshare mode with shit Aaron hasn't told me about.” Well, that was about three or four facts ago, still. That actually makes her light up.

“You're really loyal,” Katelyn smiles. It makes Neil return it. “He deserves that.”

“What was the last straw?” Neil blurts out and starts drinking _Aaron's_ drink, since he's been here so long, talking to his boyfriend's ex that he drank that huge cup. Jeeze. Her confused expression is boring him. “What did his brother do that was the last straw and made you break it off with him?”

Katelyn sighs and twirls her hair.  “After the second time he pulled a knife on me, and all the threats, being called a _whore_ , my grades were slipping because of the stress and Aaron wasn't happy, just scared for me… it was better in the end.” Her frown deepens. “I guess.”

Neil doesn't know what to say to comfort her cause he's happy they broke up, but feels sorry for what she went through. Not that much, but enough. So when he hears his name being called he is relieved and then groans when he sees Andrew coming their way.  At least he's not actively trying to pretend he is his twin.

“Oh looky, both whores in one place,” Andrew sings his name and then Katelyn's, making Neil sigh and Katelyn frown, shifting uncomfortably. “Oh no, _underaged drinking_?” He gasps when he sees the cups.

Neil scoffs and he feels Katelyn's stare while he locks gazes with Andrew. Andrew's manic smile widens as he reaches for Neil's cup, and he laughs when Neil drops it on the ground with a blank face, feeling the liquid splash his shoes. Katelyn must have gotten splashed too, judging by the soft sound she makes.

“How rude, Josten,” Andrew shakes his head, crossing his arms. Neil scans him, he's wearing a muscle shirt with the Punisher’s logo on it and jeans, black armbands that— Oh.  Neil feels his mouth twitch when he sees Andrew play with the hem and sees the outline of the sheaths. Cute. “Something funny?” his eyes sparkle.

“We were-”

“What are you doing here?” Aaron demands from beside him and Neil looks over, smiling at the sight of his tiny annoyed, blond boyfriend. He looks back when his twin opens his mouth.

“I'm talking to your whores,” Andrew announces, looking between Katelyn and Neil, before looking back at his twin. “We're getting along _swimmingly._ ”

“Andrew,” Aaron growls and Neil likes it. “You already hurt Kate and _me,_ she didn't deserve that and Neil doesn't either.”

“Besides,” Neil pipes up, regaining Andrew's attention. “If you try to touch me like you did Katelyn, you will not like the results,” Neil promises, grinning at Andrew and watches his eyes gleam with interest. He sees him move before it happens and flicks out his own knife as Andrew presses the tip to his throat.

Katelyn gasps and backs away, Aaron hissing Andrew's name. The other partygoers either don't notice or they don't care that ‘The Monster’ and PSU's fastest runner have pulled knives on each other. Andrew's eyes glitter with excitement. Neil's knife is pressed hard in preparation to gut him, definitely having cut through his shirt and nicked his skin. Neil feels blood trickle down his throat from where Andrew nicked him, so he grins wider, not phased by Aaron's demands for his brother to back off.

“Oh brother of mine, your newest whore is far more dangerous than you know,” Andrew coos.

Aaron chokes as he shifts, noticing his boyfriend holding a knife against his twin’s abdomen. “Baby, what are you doing?” He sounds shocked.

“ _He doesn't know you play with sharp and dangerous toys?”_ Andrew admonishes in French, making Neil lift a brow. Since-

“ _When did you learn French_?” Neil asks in the same language.

That smile never wavers, at least he knows why now. He wonders what he’s truly like when he’s sober, if he always wears his apathetic mask or if he ever lets his soul shine through. Interesting.

“ _Andrew, Neil, put the knives,_ **_down_** ,” Aaron orders in German, his tone stern.

“ _You first_ ,” Andrew continues in French.

Neil breathes out a laugh, he realizes that some of the partygoers near them have noticed something is up.

“People are staring,” Katelyn whispers.

Someone says something about Josten having the balls to go toe to toe with ‘The Monster’. If only they knew. Shit, he’s feeling a buzz already. He promised uncle Stuart he wouldn’t get into fights until at least _next_ semester.

“ _Learned it from my mother and then my uncle continued teaching me after he took me in. My friend Jean keeps me sharp_.” Neil doesn't remove his knife, nor does Andrew. Aaron looks like he's trying to figure out what he should do. “ _Your turn_.”

“ _Kevin. Picked it back up after you two flirted._ ” Andrew winks, turning his head slightly towards Aaron but keeps his eyes on Neil. “ _You sure you want to keep a whore with so many dangerous secrets_?” He switches back to German again.

Aaron growls again, it's just as sexy as it was the first time. “ _Andrew! This is insane! Neil is not hiding anything from me. He'd never hurt me and you have. So stop!_ ”

Neil watches hurt flicker through Andrew's eyes so fast that he thinks he hallucinated it and blinks as he pulls his knife away while pushing Neil away. He makes his own knife vanish while he watches Andrew turn on Aaron. Katelyn squeaks at the sudden change, and darts behind Aaron.

“ _All I've ever done is look after you, I've kept my end of the bargain to keep you_ **_safe_** _, it's not my fault you don't like how I did it._ ”

Neil almost takes Andrew down when he sees his boyfriend's eyes harden into a vicious look he had never seen before. Almost.

“ _You killed our mother and chased away Kate because of some deluded idea she's out to hurt me and now you're after Neil. Wh-_ ”

Andrew's twisted smile makes him sick.  He’s relieved that no one else speaks German as this is a very private conversation. _Why the hell does this keep happening in public?_

“ _You asked me to protect you from the bitch who beat the shit out of you on the daily and when I told her to keep her hands to herself..._ ” Andrew growls. “ _Well you know what happened, don’t you._ ” It’s not a question, but a statement that makes Neil tired.

Aaron bristles and trembles; Neil wants to hold him as his boyfriend grows more and more upset.

“ _All I wanted was a brother!_ ” Aaron bites at him. “ _Someone to go to when shit like that happened, not… not..._ ”

“ _Not what,_ **_Aaron_** _?_ ”

“ _Fuck off_ ,” Neil finally intervenes as he sees Aaron begin to shut down even more. He will not let this go on. He will not let anyone hurt Aaron, _never_ , he realizes as he steps between the twins, glaring down at Andrew. “ _If you wanna bite my head off_ **_fine_** _, but I’m not letting you attack your own brother, so Fuck. Off._ ” Neil snarls and watches as anger morphs into interest and then fascination before settling on fake boredom.

“ _You don’t know the first thing about us,_ ” Andrew sneers and Neil watches him look through him, at his brother maybe, and then turn on his heel and leave.

The people around them murmur before resuming their drunk partying. Neil turns around to see Aaron catching Katelyn as she cries, holding her to his chest; he frowns, _not out of jealousy_ , and places a hand between his boyfriend’s shoulder blades.

“We'll walk you back to your dorm,” Neil offers, ignoring Aaron's surprised expression when he looks up.

 

~

 

Walking back to Fox Tower, side by side, in silence, Neil counts how long until Aaron says something. He can practically _feel_ Aaron's nerves.

“There is nothing going on between me and Kate.”

Neil almost trips on the sidewalk at that, glancing at his boyfriend before continuing on. “I know there is nothing going on.” Neil pauses as they walk, hands not interlocked, stuffed into their own pockets. He hates it. He misses the weight of Aaron’s hand in his own. “She's pretty, and fiery.” He finally comments.

“She is.” Aaron's voice is choked, Neil looks to his boyfriend, stomach twisting painfully at the conflicted, hurt and lost emotions on his face.

“Aaron?” Neil frowns.

“You didn’t even flinch when he held a knife to your throat.” Aaron looks at the ground as they stop on the sidewalk, Neil turns to face him fully. “And you had your own on him.”

“I did.”

There is no sense in denying it.

“I _know_ what kind of person Andrew is. He’s got…” Aaron pauses and shakes his head, finally looking up. Neil hates the pain and lingering distrust in his face. “The point is, I don’t know what kind of person _you_ are, Neil.” Neil feels his expression smooth out and his throat tighten. “What kind of person are you that whips out a knife and doesn’t flinch when their own skin is cut open- that _has_ been cut open? The way you looked at him, I didn’t recognize you.”

Neil swallows and lowers his gaze, anxiety suddenly spiking. “You’ll leave me because…” Neil whispers. “You'll be afraid of me.”

“I was afraid of you when I didn't know you carried knives and are prepared to use them!” Neil flinches as Aaron snaps at him. It's nothing like the way when he got defensive the day they met. Aaron sounds hurt. Hurt, but not scared.

Neil's shoulders sag, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry I scared you.” He looks up, swallowing thickly again, trying to convey his sincerity. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Aaron. I promise.”

Aaron's mouth presses in a thin line and he folds his arms again, squeezing his fists. “I think I could see that. It's probably why I'm still standing here, to be honest.” Neil frowns deeper as they stare at each other, studying each other's expressions until Aaron inhales sharply and pinches his brow, much like Neil did not that long ago.

“I've never felt like this about a guy,” Aaron starts again, no longer frowning, so many expressions flickering over his face. Neil knows he needs to talk, to say what he's thinking, so he stays silent. “I didn't feel like this about _Kate_. I was— I was so addicted to drugs in high school- the only girls that wanted shit from me were addicts too. They used me. When Andrew came to live with us, I… after mom died … after he _killed_ her—”

“Aaron—” Neil tries to stop him, but his boyfriend just jabs a finger into his chest, glaring at him. He shuts his mouth. Aaron's glare softens again.

“He and Nicky locked me in the bathroom for three days until I got sober and I just… stayed clean, hoping Andrew would keep his promise to be there for me and… well. He broke his promise, he chased off all the girls interested in me and when we started university, he and Day started doing… whatever they do and _still_ chased off Kate because of whatever. Thinking that she's a whore trying to hurt me. He nearly killed four grown men who ganged up on Nicky because he’s gay, so I know he would protect me and he meant that but…”

Aaron breaks their eye contact and looks at Neil's chest, Neil watches as he opens his mouth a couple times and licks his lips, the finger against his chest taps a couple times before he curls his fingers into his jacket. When he looks back up, his hazel eyes are dark with something Neil can't read.

“Neil,” Aaron lowers his voice. “Tell me the truth, is my brother right, that you're dangerous?”

“Yes.”

Neil expects Aaron to start yelling at him, for his quiet, but firm ‘yes’, but he only stands there, staring at him. Neil’s eyes are drawn to his boyfriend’s teeth as they start chewing on his bottom lip. Reflexively, Neil reaches up to tug his lip from between his teeth, his thumb tracing over the now bleeding flesh. He flicks his eyes back to Aaron’s and finds relief flooding them and offers him a weak smile.

“I might be dangerous, Aaron, but I would never hurt you,” Neil traces his thumb over to the freckle by his lip and slides his hand up his cheek, touching his freckles one by one. He watches the tension slip from Aaron’s body, slowly memorizing his boyfriend’s face for the nth time. Neil is pulled from his thoughts when Aaron holds his hand against his face with his own, pulling him forward by the loose grip he had on his jacket.

“Aaron…” Neil whispers as his boyfriend presses his hand flat against his chest and glides down over his stomach, ghosting the waistband of his track pants before sliding under his shirt and jacket. As goosebumps spread across his skin, his eyes dart between Aaron’s, confused until his fingers trace the first of five white scars on his belly and closes his mouth, seeing the question in his eyes. Aaron doesn’t say anything, but he knows he wants to know _why_ he’s dangerous.

Of course, this is _once again_ happening anywhere but behind closed doors, in private, but German is the best he can manage, so;

“ _My uncle Stuart saved me during an FBI raid in Baltimore. He shot my father in the head when he tried to flee in the middle of chopping my mother apart while I watched. I was eight years old._ ” Neil has to look away from Aaron’s horrified expression. “ _He used to put a knife in my hands and I had to use it or he’d cut_ **_me_** _, I learned after the fifth time. I didn’t pick up a knife again until I was twelve after one of my father’s men came after me and killed one of my uncle’s bodyguards assigned to me. I didn’t want to be defenseless. I didn’t want anyone else to die because of me. They’ve all been caught now, serving triple life sentences, but…_ ” Neil shrugs, unable to continue. There isn’t anything left to say. The ball is in Aaron’s court.

Neil swallows as Aaron pulls his hand from his face, but looks down in confusion as Aaron takes both of his hands in his own, holding them in between them. When Neil looks to Aaron’s face for answers, he’s greeted with the sight of his pale blond hair.

“Your hands are always so strong and smooth, except for here,” Aaron traces over callouses on the palms of his hands. From holding his knives over the last fifteen years. “I like how they feel when you touch my face and my skin… how you hold me against you… when we’re holding hands.”

Neil feels fluttery at Aaron’s words, causing a slight tremor in his hands. Aaron grips them tight and Neil grips his back. Aaron looks up and Neil has to lock himself into place at the intense look in his eyes, releasing a shuddering breath.

“I don’t know how these hands could be so dangerous,” Aaron squeezes them again. “But I believe you. I believe you won’t hurt me, because these hands haven’t hurt anyone without reason, right?”

Neil trembles and nods, squeezing his boyfriend’s hands tight because he’ll fall if he doesn’t.

“The rest of that though…” He continues and Neil frowns. Aaron shakes his head, shoulders slumping. “That is something to talk about when I can wrap my head around it. Fair?”

“I’m…” Neil falters and switches over again. “ _I’m the son of a serial killer and that’s how you want to deal with it?_ ”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll properly freak out later, but right now, I want to go back to your room, steal some of Matt’s whiskey and snuggle with you, okay?”

“Okay,” Neil chokes and nods. He feels light-headed. Aaron still has a bit of stress hunching his shoulders, so he knows this is still heavy on his mind, but… “You’re really not afraid of me?”

Aaron meets his gaze again. “Now that I know all of that?” Neil nods reluctantly. “I’m not afraid.  I guess I’m slightly disturbed you have more in common with my twin than I do with him, sure, but I’m not afraid of you.” Aaron drops his left hand and laces his fingers with his right, tugging them away. “We’ve been standing here too long, someone is bound to have called campus security by now.

Neil manages a laugh, though a bit forced, not quite trusting the wave of relief he feels. “Why do we keep having these talks in inconvenient places?”

“Just lucky I guess,” Aaron muses. Neil grins, squeezing his hand as they continue on, shivering when a cool breeze blows through. Suddenly he’s jealous of Aaron wearing _his_ hoodie. At least it looks good on him.

“What should we do about Andrew?” Neil asks as Fox Tower grows closer.

Aaron scoffs. “Has he managed to scare you?” Neil laughs at him. “Then we do nothing. He has no reason to be worried about us being together.”

Neil grins and chuckles as he walks, hand in hand with Aaron. Sneaking a glance at him, he blushes when Aaron catches him but doesn’t look away. Aaron gives him a shy smile.

They’re going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their first disagreements! and Andrew! -gasp- They're learning each other <3
> 
> Just you wait until chapter 4 >:]
> 
> Kudos are appreciated and comments help me know what you think!
> 
> <3 love you!


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